 |
The Slow Cooker: A Busy Mom’s Best Friend
If you’ve been neglecting your crock pot, these recipes and helpful hints may just inspire you to dust it off and get reacquainted with an old friend. Imagine being greeted by the aroma of a home-cooked meal when you walk through the door – like coming home to your mother’s cooking.
General Tips:
• Beef cuts will be better cooked on low for 8-10 hours, while chicken can be cooked on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Reduce the amount of liquid used in oven recipes (unless rice or pasta is used) when using the low setting. Down recipes by about half the recommended amount of liquid, since liquids don’t evaporate the way they do in stove-top cooking.
• Fill the pot one-half to three-quarters full. If the level is lower, the food will cook too quickly; if higher, the food will not get hot enough quickly enough.
• Spices may need to be reduced or increased. Whole herbs and spices increase their flavoring in a crock pot, while ground spices and herbs may lose some flavor. Add ground spices during the last hour of cooking. Whole herbs and spices will probably need to be reduced by half.
• Rice, noodles, macaroni, seafood, Chinese vegetables and milk do not hold up well when cooked 8-10 hours. Add these to sauce or liquid about 2 hours before serving when using low, or 1 hour on high.
• If you want to use milk in an 8-10 hour recipe, use evaporated milk.
• Browning meats is a personal choice. It’s not necessary, but may reduce the fat content. It doesn’t take that much extra time and makes a world of difference in flavor and texture. I always brown any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker.
• It isn’t necessary to sauté vegetables, with the exception of eggplant. It should be parboiled or sautéed due to its strong flavor. You may want to decrease the amount of strong-tasting vegetables since they will permeate the other foods with their full flavor.
• Presoak dried beans for faster cooking. As an alternative to soaking, they can be cooked overnight on low. Cover with water and add 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Drain and combine with other ingredients. Be sure beans are softened before adding to any sugar or tomato mixture.
• Use long grain parboiled/converted raw rice in recipes and use standard liquid amounts instead of reducing the liquid. If you are using regular rice, or for a recipe requiring pasta, it’s best to cook the pasta separately and add just before serving. The same advice is true for quick-cooking or delicate ingredients, like cheese or fresh herbs.
• For soups, add water only to cover ingredients. If thinner soup is wanted, add more liquid at the end of the cooking time. Stir soups and stews well before serving.
• Trim excess fat from meat before cooking. Fat will melt and add an unpleasant, greasy texture.
• Vegetables don’t cook as quickly as meat, so they should be added first.
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be added frozen. They will be much more tender than if you thaw them out first.
• Don’t lift the lid to check on food. It breaks the seal around the rim and interferes with the cooking time – each peek adds about 20 minutes.
Recipes:
Sweet ‘n Sticky Short Ribs
2 Tbsp. cooking oil
3 lbs. beef short ribs, trimmed of fat
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. light cooking molasses
2 Tbsp. white vinegar
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
Heat cooking oil in frying pan. Add ribs. Brown all sides. Drain. Put onion in bottom of 5-quart slow cooker. Add ribs. Mix remaining ingredients well and pour over meat. Cover. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours.
French Dip Sandwiches
3 lbs. beef chuck roast, trimmed and cubed
2 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 bay leaf
3 whole peppercorns (3 to 4)
8 French rolls (split hard rolls)
Place roast in slow cooker. Add water, soy sauce, and seasonings. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from broth; shred with fork and keep warm.
Strain broth; skim off fat. Pour broth into small cups for dipping. Serve beef on rolls.
Green Chili Burritos
2 lbs. rump roast
1 cup chopped onion
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 (10 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 (1 lb.) can tomato sauce
Layer ingredients, meat first, in crock pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Do not stir for first 5 hours. After 7 hours, shred the meat and serve on tortillas.
Macaroni and Cheese
1 (16 oz.) pkg. macaroni, cooked & drained
1 Tbsp. salad oil
1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
Lightly grease crock pot. Toss macaroni and oil. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir, cover and cook on low 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham
3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Place sliced potatoes in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix together shredded cheese, onion and ham, then add to potatoes in slow cooker. Using the same bowl, mix condensed soup and water. Season to taste with garlic powder, salt and pepper, then pour evenly over the potato mixture. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
Fresh Rosemary Chicken
1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/4 tsp. sea or kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or more)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (still frozen)
In a large plastic bag, place lemon juice, oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Shake mixture and add chicken. Close bag and marinate for at least 4 hours, turning bag frequently: overnight in the refrigerator is even better. Place chicken in the crock pot and add marinade. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours until tender.
Tender Beef Roast
1 beef roast -- any cut
1 package gravy, dry mix, brown
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 package dry ranch-style dressing mix
1/2 cup water
Place beef roast in crockpot. Mix together the dried mixes in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast. Pour the water around the roast. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. Potatoes & baby carrots may be added when the meat is halfway done, making it very flavorful!
New Orleans Red Beans
1 (1 lb.) bag dried red beans
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut up
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)
5 cups of water (enough to cover ingredients)
salt and pepper to taste
1 stick of butter
3-4 cups of rice
Rinse beans and add to crock pot along with everything else but butter and rice; cook on high all day.
Turn off 30 minutes before serving and stir in butter until melted. Prepare rice while letting it stand. Pour over rice. Serve with cornbread and your favorite Louisiana hot sauce!
Lasagna
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped/crushed
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 pkg. (8 ounces) “no-cook” lasagna noodles
1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain. Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth, then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese so that all the cheeses are combined.
Grease the slow cooker with some vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides. Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the crock pot. Add a layer of noodles (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that.
Repeat with sauce, noodles, and cheese for another two layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until noodles are tender.
Ravioli Casserole
1 (28 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (25 oz.) pkg. frozen cheese ravioli, cooked and drained
1 can sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup fresh Romano cheese, grated
Spray 3 1/2 quart crock pot with vegetable or olive oil spray. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in bottom of crock pot. Layer 1/2 of ravioli, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 of mushrooms, 2 Tbsp. black olives, 1 cup cheeses and 1/2 of remaining spaghetti sauce.
Repeat layers. Cook on low setting for 5 1/2 hours. Turn to high, sprinkle on Romano cheese, and continue cooking for 1/2 hour.
Turn off crock pot and wait 15 minutes before serving.
Oven-to-Crock Pot Conversions
Keep in mind that, for most crock pots, the low setting is about 200º and the high setting is about 300º. One hour on high is equal to 2 to 2 1/2 hours on low.
• 15 to 30 minutes oven = 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high in crock pot or 4-6 hours on low.
• 35 to 45 minutes oven = 3 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
• 60 minutes to 3 hours oven = 4-5 hours on high or 8-18 hours on low.
• Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations require at least 8 hours on low.
General Cooking Times for Specific Foods:
Pot Roast: 12 hours low or 4-5 hours high
Stew: 10-12 hours low or 4-5 hours high
Ribs: 6-8 hours low
Stuffed Peppers: 6-8 hours low or 3-4 hours high
Brisket: 10-12 hours low
Swiss Steak: 8-10 hours low
Corned Beef and Cabbage: 6-10 hours low or 4-5 hours high
Casserole: 4-9 hours low or 2-4 hours high, stirring occasionally
Rice: 5-9 hours low or 2-3 hours high
Meat Loaf: 8-9 hours low
Dry Beans: 1-2 hours high, plus 8-9 hours on low
Soup: 6-12 hours low or2-6 hours high
Chicken: 7-10 hours low or 3-4 hours high
Vegetable: 2-4 hours low with liquid added
Baked Potato: 8-10 hours low
|
